I have made fig jam previously and when I saw the addition of earl grey tea to a recipe I knew I had to try it. Subtle flavours can really add a zing to the end result - such as the addition of rosewater to raspberry jam. This recipe is more of a compote than a jam, so you can serve it with muesli and yoghurt or on pancakes. Figs ripen so quickly that even with a tree full of fruit it is impossible to get 1kg of fruit that are all ready at the same time, so I always freeze my figs whole and … [Read more...]
Quick & Easy Blackberry Jam Recipe
I'm so pleased to have blackberries in quantity again now. My thornless blackberry plants have finally recovered after I had to take them out whilst replacing the ponga fence they were growing against. They sulked for a few years after replanting but have produced a very good haul this season and they seem to have fruited much earlier than I remember from previous years. This is a very simple Blackberry Jam Recipe that can be made in no time at all and is perfect on hot buttered scones. You can … [Read more...]
Rhubarb & Strawberry Jam
Rhubarb & Strawberry Jam is such a great combination - the tang of the rhubarb balances out the sweetness of the strawberries. I have made the recipe twice this year: once in spring with fresh strawberries and again later once the rhubarb had regrown, with frozen strawberries. The jam goes wonderfully with scones and cream. 500g strawberries (can use fresh or frozen) 500g rhubarb 1kg Jam Setting Sugar Knob of butter (about 10g) Hull the strawberries and chop the rhubarb into 1cm … [Read more...]
Orange & Strawberry Jam with Vanilla & Mint Recipe
I am a fan of classic strawberry jam but I may never look back after enjoying the layers of flavours in this amazing Orange & Strawberry Jam with Vanilla & Mint. Orange really brings out the fruity flavours of the strawberries and then the vanilla and mint lift it to a whole new level. 1kg strawberries (I used frozen) 4 oranges 2 lemons 2 vanilla pods 1kg jam setting sugar A dozen or so mint leaves Hull the strawberries, cut them in halves or quarters, and put … [Read more...]
Strawberry & Banana Jam Recipe
My Lady Finger bananas are now producing well but this means that you have to do something with 100 or so bananas all ripening at once. I decided to try making Strawberry & Banana Jam. I regularly use Jam Setting Sugar that has pectin in it to make quick and easy fruit jams - you just need 1kg of whatever fruit or fruit combination you happen to have available. 500g hulled strawberries (I used frozen) 500g peeled bananas 1kg jam setting sugar ~10g knob of butter Mash strawberries … [Read more...]
Fig Paste Recipe
I love fig season but it is over so quickly and fresh figs don't last well. Mine always ripen a few at a time too rather than a decent number at a time, but you can put them in the freezer whole until you a) have enough to make something with and b) feel inspired to make something with them. This fig paste recipe can be made from fresh or frozen figs. Most of the recipes I have seen say to use 12 figs - but figs come in all shapes and sizes so how much do you actually need? I weighed out about … [Read more...]
Caramelised Banana Jam Recipe
Bananas aren't the first fruit you think of for making jam, but this Caramelised Banana Jam recipe brings in a whole range of delicious flavours. If you want more of a Caribbean flavour, then add some rum at the end of the process. I had 2 big bunches of Lady Finger bananas that were ripening all at once so that I had hundreds of bananas to use up all at once. I'd frozen several large bags of peeled bananas to use for making banana cake, blueberry banana muffins and banana icecream - and … [Read more...]
Rhubarb & Banana Jam
Late summer in the garden: rhubarb flopping everywhere, huge bunches of bananas ripening at once, and then reading in a gardening magazine that Rhubarb & Banana Jam is a thing - and a delicious one at that. Who would have thought it? I wasn't 100% convinced to start with so I added a few strawberries as well to give it some more flavour and juice, and used a tried and true simple jam making method that uses jam setting sugar (with pectin already included for you). 500g rhubarb … [Read more...]
Fig & Ginger Jam Recipe
Fig & Ginger Jam! I can't believe it is 4 years since I first got fruit on my fig tree (see Fickle Figs) and rather unsuccessfully experimented with the few I managed to get before the birds did. Back then I desperately resorted to making Fig & Ginger Jam using dried figs. I have managed to mostly keep ahead of the birds since then by trying holographic tape and picking fruit as soon as it was soft every day and freezing it to accumulate enough to make things. This year I got a Popadome … [Read more...]
Blackberry, Apple & Pinot Noir Jam
This Blackberry, Apple & Pinot Noir Jam has the great pairing of blackberry and apple, lifted by the addition of pinot noir. After making Apple Pie Jam I was in the mood for another jam to make using apples and thought 'what about blackberry and apple? Perfect in a dessert, why not in a jam?' I'd also made Raspberry & Rosewater Jam, where the addition of the rose water gave a subtle lift to the fruity flavour of the raspberries, so why not try a splash of wine to lift the blackberry and … [Read more...]